The Last Wish
by Lightan117
Summary: "If the wishes came true, they came true in terrible ways. Wishes were dangerous things. That was the idea you got from fairy tales." ― Kate DiCamillo, Raymie Nightingale
1. Chapter 1

" _I told you. You don't love someone because of their looks or their clothes or their car. You love them because they sing a song only your heart can understand." ― L.J. Smith_

~oOo~

"April, the bus will be here! Hurry up!" A middle aged woman called up to the steps of a small middle income house that sat in a somewhat good neighborhood. Upstairs there was a thumping before a nineteen-year-old with curly black hair and blue eyes rushed down the steps. Quickly as she could she tied her hair into a sloppy bun, rushed into a kitchen to grab a single piece of toast with jam, then kissed her mother good-bye. April Brooks slammed the door behind her, hearing her mother warn her once more about the door before catching up to her younger sister May who was already walking towards the bus stop.

"I'm surprised you got up at all. Let me guess; you went to bed at three in the morning again." Summer said as they walked down the street. April shoved the piece of toast down her throat as fast as she could as the metro bus rounded the corner.

"I was working on my paper. The contest due date is this morning and I had to rush to finish it." May said as they boarded the bus, sitting somewhere in the middle. "I just hope I at least get second place."

"I thought weren't allowed on field trips their first two years?" May asked as she pulled her homework out. She just needed to answer a few more questions and then she would be finished.

"They're not but surprisingly the college is allowing both freshmen and sophomores to enter into the contest!" April said excitingly. "I'll bring you back something if I win." April nudged her sister, causing her to glare for jerking her arm while she was writing. "Come on May don't tell me you're not excited that I'm going to New York! We always wanted to go there!"

"You're not going yet. I'll get excited when you actually win." May said and rolled her eyes.

"What no faith in me?" April asked and the two of them laughed. A couple of minutes pass and May got up to get off at her stop at the high school, saying good bye to her sister. April remained on the bus for another half hour before she got off at the university she is attending. It was a fairly large school in the community they lived in and April was just lucky enough to squeeze in. She went straight to her first English class of the day followed by a study in literature. Once she had some time to spare she made her way towards the old library where the instructions to hand in her contest paper said to go.

"Excuse me, is this where I turn in the contest paper?" April asked as she approached an old lady, hunched back with typical old lady clothing. She was muttering to herself before she noticed the young woman behind her.

"sorry dear, what was that?" the old lady asked.

"Is this the place to drop off the contest papers? I have it right here and I wanted to make sure I handed it in." April said, presenting the ten-page paper to the woman. The woman took the stack of papers, looked it over before handing it back with a smile.

"You would want that box over there child. You just made it in time. I'm about to collect the box to deliver to the dean." The old woman said with the smile still on her face as she pointed to the box. April smiled back before walking over to drop the packet into it. Just as she was about to say thank you a man in a business suit stormed into the dimly dusty room they were standing in. April just noticed that there were boxes and books stacked all over the place and it was only the three of them in the room. If this was the library, then shouldn't there be more people here? Where were they all? The man standing before the woman looked angry judging by the look on his face.

"How many times have I told you Mrs. Plotter that I needed all these books moved into the new library! The opening is tomorrow and the dean wants it all ready by then." The man practically yelled at the old woman who didn't even seemed phased.

"And it will get done Mr. Price. Rome wasn't built in a day." The woman, Mrs. Plotter, replied to the man in a cool voice.

"Well, Rome wasn't paying an arm and a leg for tuition jut so they can sit in a moldy basement to finish their course work. You have until the end of the day to finish Mrs. Plotter or else you're fired!" Mr. Price fumed as he marched over to the contest box to pick it up. "I will deliver this to the dean since you are too busy finishing up the assignment I had given you. Maybe after this you will find a more suitable job for one at your age." Mrs. Plotter stood firm, never blinking as the man stared her down.

"I have been here since the beginning Mr. Price." The woman who has kept her cool for this long looked up at the man with a cold stare. The air around the three seemed to be getting colder, their breath almost becoming visible. The shadows cast by the dim light seemed to grow and stretch towards them as if the shadows were eating the light itself. The old woman continued to stare at the man as they continued their silent argument. "And I will remain here at this school until the end. Take the box Mr. Price and have a very good day." Just like that the man turned on his heel and left the room without a word like he was in a trance. The shadows retreated back to where they sat before, the air getting warmer as Mrs. Plotter sat down at the nearest chair. "I'm sorry about that dear."

"Who was that man?" April asked.

"Mr. Price is in charge of the new library that just was currently built." Mrs. Plotter looked about the room they were in. "I've seen many young adults come and go from this place. Many have graduated and have families of their own. And many of those lost their way and have been forgotten about." She turned towards April. "And what about you Miss Brooks? Do you long for adventure like so many others? The thrill of the wind and the call of the wild? Or are you like those stuffed shirt fools who believe a creative mind is a dangerous one? But my most important question is that do you believe in magic like so few your age do?" April looked at the woman before she smiled softly.

"My dad used to tell me and my sister stories about magic. He used to say that if you look closely you could see it. My sister and I used to go around the house screaming we could see it but I guess we all have to grow up. I believe adventure waits for everyone but some are just frightened to take that risk." April chuckled. "It's kind of like how I entered this contest with no hope of winning but I did it anyways because I believe I could win it."

"You think you won't win?"

"My dad died a year ago and I hardly see my mom any more. Not to mention that only reason why I go to this school is because people felt sorry for me. Student aid and scholarships is the only luck I've ever gotten." April explained.

"Ah, I see."

"Do you need any help moving these books Mrs. Plotter? I don't have class for another hour so I can help you until I go back." April offered to the woman.

"Thank you dear, that's very kind of you. I would love the help." Mrs. Plotter said with her kind smile still in place. Together, over the next hour the two pushed cart after cart full of books to the new library. They were almost done when it was time for April to return to class. Mrs. Plotter thanked the young woman, saying that those with kind hearts will always be rewarded. April chuckled before saying that nothing sort of magic could grant the wish she would want. "Well then, if you had three wishes what would they be?" Mrs. Plotter said.

The bell rung at the clock tower in the middle of the college, signaling that the time was noon and that April would be late for class if she didn't get moving. Mrs. Plotter said that her teacher could call her should she had any problems with April being late so she handed her a pen and paper. "Here, write them down." April thought about it for a minute before she wrote them down. She bid the old woman good-bye as she left. The old woman looked down at the list and chuckled before she returned to carting books to the new library.

"This…this I can do." She shook her head as she disappeared into the shadows. "The last wish however is up to you my dear. Love happens…it just doesn't appear like magic."

~oOo~

Later that evening when April returned home and she was eating with her family at the table did she get a phone call from the school about her contest papers. Her face lit up like fireworks and she started to bounce around the house like she was a kid in a candy store.

"What's going on?" April's mom asked once she had enough of her daughter jumping up and down enough to shake the house.

"I won. Ha! I won!" April said with a large smile on her face.

"You won?" May asked in disbelieve. "You won?!" May jumped up to embrace her sister. The two continued to jump up and down until their mother asked what was going on. "She won!"

"Won what exactly?"

"The contest! I entered to win a two month all expensed paid trip to New York to attend the Written Word conference there." April said with a wavering smile.

"And how come I'm just knowing about this now?" Their mother asked.

"Because you've been really busy and I didn't want to bother you with this." April said and the sisters sat back down at the table. "I never really thought I would win anyways." April's mother was quiet for a while before she turned towards her daughter.

"All expenses paid?"

"The only money I'll need is to show with and I already have been saving since I started college." April said and there was a pregnant silence before her mother smiled at her.

"Well I guess we have to go shopping then." Her mother said and the girls squealed.

"Thank you, thank you!" April said and her mother chuckled.

"Don't be thanking me, you were the one who won. I can't be more proud of you." Her mother said and gave her daughter a hug. "When will you be leaving?"

"In a week. All our meals will be paid for and so will our hotel room. I'll be attending lectures by Dr. Stephen Wolf whose made many lectures about his best sellers and he's also a researcher in mutations so that's where he gets such great ideas for his books."

"I'm buying you a Taser before you go."

"Mom, I'll be fine. But if it makes you feel better I'll take it with me." April said and the girl continued to chat about the trip that would be taking place in a week.

~oOo~

The week until the New York trip flew by like lightening for April. Her mother took her out shopping for clothes and of course a Taser for safety. The three of them woke up early in the morning to drive to the college where students were boarding the two buses that would take the children to New York. April explained that the girls would be in the first one and the boys would be in the second so there wouldn't be…. sexual interactions on the ride to the city. April's mother gripped her daughter tightly saying good-bye before April moved to her sister.

"Here." May handed April her ninja turtle Michelangelo doll April had won from a crane game when the movie first came out two years ago. May and April are secret fans ever since their father introduced it to them at a young age. Ever since then the two have always bonded over TV shows, cartoons, movies, and they even have build-a-bears of their favorite turtles. "Just in case you miss home."

"Won't you miss him?" April asked.

"I will but hey, if you meet any of them get their autograph for me." May said and April gave her sister a hug.

"Don't get into too much trouble."

"I won't. Bring me back something nice." May told her sister and said their last good-bye. April got on the bus and found a window seat in the middle, setting up her little nest she'll be sitting in for the next eleven hours.

"Is this seat taken?" April looked up to see a girl her age with violet hair stand in the isle besides her. "You seem to be somewhat normal than all the other girls here."

"Name the TV show with a blue box."

"Doctor Who, duh. Hello fellow nerd." The violet girl said with a smile and roll of her eyes.

"Welcome to the dark side. Sadly, I only have sugar cookies." April held up the bag of cookies and the violet girl sat down next to her.

"Sadly, I have chocolate chip." The girl held up her own bag and the girls started to laugh. "I'm Samantha but everyone calls me Sammy."

"I'm April. Don't ask when my birthday is." The girls laughed again. "Aren't you in my Intro to Modern Lit class?" April asked.

"Wait a minute, you're that girl with the hoodie with the cat ears right?"

"Yeah!"

"Oh my gosh I keep looking at it because I'm trying to find one!" Sammy said with a bright smile.

"It's from Emily Strange. I don't know if you can find one now, it's like ten years old." April explained.

"Damnit." Sammy said and April laughed.

The two girls hit it off right away. The kept talking for a couple of hours before they fell into a comfortable silence before Sammy fell asleep. April took out her laptop and started typing down ideas she had for her book. She already has two chapters down but for some reason she hasn't been able to finish it. She seems to be at a point where writers block is the worst. After a while she gave up and put her music in her ears until she fell asleep as well.

The buses stopped a couple of times but they didn't reach New York until four in the afternoon. Everyone on the bus was already antsy being kept on it for so long that the girls began to cheer once they reached the Lincoln tunnel. Sammy and April jumped for joy from where they sat as they entered the tunnel but something was off. The dim lights of the tunnel started to flicker but no one but April seemed to notice. The air around her got cold just like it did and the library when she turned towards Sammy she seemed like she was in a trance, watching the air like it was the most fascinating thing to do. Just then, something flashed and it caused April to shut her eyes tight. Her hands gripped May's doll as tightly that she thought she would tear the arms off.

" _Kind hearts will always be rewarded…_ " A voice echoed and the bright light seemed to on forever until April got so light headed for some reason that the darkness of sleep took over her. " _Your last wish…is up to you my dear._ "

~oOo~


	2. Chapter 2

_**"Your value doesn't decrease based on someone's inability to see your worth."- Anonymous**_

~oOo~

"All of our rooms are on the 6th floor. You are only allowed to be in the room you are assigned and if you are caught in another's room, such as the opposite sex, you are on a one-way ticket back to the college. Is that understood?" The was a grumble of yes and yeah before Miss Masters, the head of the group, continued. "The pool is on the roof and breakfast will be served at 6:30 every morning. You must report to your assigned teachers every morning and every night. Keep your cell phone charged at all times and make sure you are present for all, and I mean, all presentations and speakers. This isn't a vacation. Now, when I call your name you will be paired up with your roommate." Miss Masters looked down at her list and started to call names. "April Brooks and Samantha Winters." The girls turned towards each other and gave each other a look only nerds could read. Miss Masters went on until everyone was paired. She then instructed everyone to go unpack and meet back in the lobby of the hotel in an hour.

The students packed themselves into the elevators to their floor, separating into their groups of two. April and Sam's room was perfect. It looked out over Central Park and was just a few minutes away from the college where the conference was. April flopped down on the bed with a sigh as Sam looked out the window in amazement.

"The few is amazing. I wish we were up higher though." Sam commented. April groaned and started to unpack her things in the dresser that was in the room.

"Not me, I like the ground thank you very much. I hate heights." April said, taking the top two drawers. "Do you think we'll be getting a tour of the college now or tomorrow?"

"Probably tomorrow since the conference doesn't actually start until tomorrow. I'm just hoping they take us out to dinner or something I'm starving!" Sam said and started to unpack her things as well when she spotted something sticking out of April's bag. "What's that thing?" April looked down to see her sister's Mikey doll sticking out.

"Oh this? It's my sisters. She loves Michelangelo from Ninja Turtles. We've been a fan ever since we were kids." April answered her and threw him on her side of the bed.

"Ninja Turtles? What's that?"

"You've never seen Ninja Turtles?! Have you been living under a rock your whole life?! I thought you were a nerd!" April said in mock shock.

"I'm serious, I am a nerd but I swear I've never even heard of them. Is it a cartoon or something?" Sam asked, picking up the doll to examine it. She looked at it like it was the strangest thing in the world and couldn't really picture this being a thing.

"It was a cartoon but it later came into movies and such. They have a cartoon show of it on nickelodeon and they just came out with a new movie. Surely you've seen the trailers for it, I went it see it twice I the theaters." April said and was started to worry of her new found friends' health. Has this girl been really living under a rock?

"Nope, never heard of it." Sam said with a straight face. April shook her head and set up her laptop.

"When we come back to the room I'll show it to you. It's actually not that bad. The old cartoons were…old but they were fun to watch. The 1990's movies were the best and I really don't care for the newest cartoon. People hated the new movies but they bring the boys so much to life!" April paused. "Sorry, fangirling is always a problem with me and my sister. We could ramble on all day if we could."

"Hey, no worries. I could talk your ear off about Supernatural. I even got my mom hooked on the show." April and Sam laughed before they decided to head down to the lobby to wait for the others to join them. "But yeah, show me what they are when we get back. Maybe I'll become a fangirl as well."

"I can welcome you into the family then!" April squealed and the girls laughed again. The two of them sat in the lobby, talking about their favorite shows as more and more students arrived. Altogether they left to tour the college, getting papers about the speakers and the schedule of certain events. They would be in one building for their classes and everything else during their free time is up to them but they needed to make sure to let someone know about their plans.

"Everyone follow me! The introduction presentation is about to begin!" Miss Masters shouted to everyone and so they were assigned two rows to file into. Sam and April sat next to each other, waiting for the lights to dim down. When they did a movie appeared on the screen in the auditorium they were shown clips of authors and what literature has done for the world. Then it went into a brief history about it and how the future looked bright for those who wanted to go into the field. Once the lights turned back on everyone clapped and a man walked across the stage.

"Good evening. My name is Dr. Stephen Wolf and I will be one of the many excellent professors, writers, journalists, and other amazing individuals here at this conference who will be talking to you about our success and failures. I know that many here believe writing is easy that creating worlds is like pulling an idea out of thin air but it's not. We have spent years trying to bring worlds to life and create heroes we look up to so that you as readers can look up to them as well. As your journey progresses the next two months, you will be taught everything you want to know about writing, getting information from anywhere, and even maybe in the near future; you'll join our ranks. Now, I'll give you over to a dear friend of mine and fellow author, Mr. Gillroy Roth to get this convention started. Thank you." Dr. Wolf finished and the whole room erupted into appalse and I was with them as well.

Dr. Wolf was an idol of mine. He grew up from nothing and became the number one bestselling author for the past three years and a top researcher in bioengineering and biomedical. He's made some amazing discoveries within the human DNA that he stated that in the near future we could find the actual DNA genes that cause cancer and other harmful diagnoses that leave people dying in hospital beds. And his writing? Oh, his writing is like diving head first into the galaxy and find life on other planets exciting.

I couldn't wait to meet him in person.

Once the presentation is done we were split into a few groups to look at the tables set up and to sign up for activities that would be held in the following week or so. Sam and I went to table to table looking at all that was there, talking to the people and asking questions before our group found room outside that we could sit down to eat our dinner. Our chaperone said we wouldn't be staying long today but we would be back early tomorrow for classes and then we would be able to go back to ask more questions. It's only on the weekends that we have the time to ourselves to see the city so Sam and I decided to go shopping first then go sightseeing the following weekend.

"We really need to go see the statue before we leave. We need pictures!" Sam said with a full mouth and I laughed.

"Defiantly! My little sister wants me to pick up a few things for her while I'm here and getting a keychain from the island is on the list." I told her and she nodded her head. "I need to go to the bathroom, I'll be right back." I got up from where I sat and headed towards one of the buildings. As I rounded a corner I just happened to ram right into someone that we both fell to the floor. "Oof!"

"Eck!" Said the other person and I opened my mouth to say sorry when my eyes looked at the person I ran into.

It was Megan Fox…. holy shit.

"Oh my god! I am so sorry!" I said and I could feel my face heat up. "I'm sorry. I'm soo sorry Miss Fox!" I said and I helped her up.

"No worries, really, but I think you have me confused with someone else." Megan Fox said with a kind smile that was understanding. I was slightly confused but maybe it was because she didn't want to noticed by anyone else but then again…she didn't have sunglasses on.

She just had the yellow jacket she wore in the movie…

Oh….

"Right. Right! Oh my god I'm so sorry. Duh, yeah of course. Just forget what I said, I didn't mean to ram into you I was just looking for the bathroom and I really didn't mean to knock you down I mean, I'm not build like a brick wall or anything but I-"

"Woah woah, slow down there it's okay. Just take a deep breath and hold it in for a second." She said and I did. My face was on fire and I knew it… "You okay now?" I exhaled and nodded.

"I'm sorry. I run on when I get flustered. I really didn't mean to knock you down though." I told her and she gave continued to smile at me.

"No worries. I've gotten into worse scrapes than that. I'm April O'Neil." She held out her hand and I smiled, knowing that this was probably just to get herself into the role she was playing. They must be shooting a scene nearby and I'm soo lucky to have gotten a chance to meet her.

"April Brooks. Funny world huh?" I asked and she laughed.

"Funny world. Did you get month jokes while you were growing up?" She asked and I smiled wider.

"Oh yeah. I have a little sister so my parents decided to keep running with it so guess what her name is?"

"Oh no."

"Oh yes, I bet you can guess."

"How did you guys manage not to go crazy?" April asked.

"Trust me, there were some rough days but we made it work. The names were my dad's idea. Mom was too tired to fight with him when we were born." I said to her and she chuckled.

"April, we need to go!" A man shouted down the hall and we both turned towards him.

"I'm really sorry but I need to get going. It was nice to meet you." She said with a smile.

"Nice to meet you too." I said and waved good-bye to her. She gave me once last wave before she disappeared down the hallway. I couldn't stop smiling by the time I got back to the group. Sam asked me what took me so long and I told her that I ran into Megan Fox. She looked at me funny but didn't say anything more about it.

We stayed at the college for another hour or so before we were shuttled back to the hotel for the remainder of the day. First thing that everyone did was change into their bathing suits and head to the pool on the roof. I don't know how we managed to get a hotel with a pool on the roof but I didn't question it. Sam and I sun bathed for a little while before going it. It was fun and exciting to look over the city as the sun began to set. The beautiful colors of orange and red mixed in the sky creating a beautiful painting.

As it grew later we retired to our room where I took a quick shower before logging into my computer to show Sam the ninja turtles. The first red flag I found was that my movies and cartoons were missing. I looked everywhere but the files weren't there. Sam said that maybe I accidently deleted them but I wouldn't be that careless. Second red flag that made my skin crawl was that when I went to YouTube there was nothing.

Nothing.

All the videos, all the clips of trailers, all the cartoons snippets, everything that involved them as missing. And the third flag was that while I was searching for videos it kept bringing me back to videos of attacks on New York by a group called The Foot Clan but that can't be true. The Foot Clan is nothing but fake. I just ran into the woman who plays April O'Neil there is no way some crazy people decided to start calling themselves a cartoon clan.

I jumped off the bed and ruffled in my bag to dig out my sisters' turtle doll and a few ninja turtle shirts I had brought with me. I showed them to Sam and she said that they were cool but she didn't know where they were from. I wanted to yell at her, scream at her that they were from the show called Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and that the attacks on the city were nothing but rabid fanatics that were calling themselves after a made up gang! None of this was real and Sam was just pulling my leg.

But the videos…

The searches that turned but nothing.

I grabbed the TV remote and turned it on until I found the channel I was looking for.

"April are you okay? You're freaking me out here." Sam said as I sat like stone watching the news. There on the screen was the woman I ran into today at the college. She was wearing the same yellow jacket; doing a report on the convention we were just at. As she wrapped up her last words echoed in my head.

"This is April O'Neil from Channel 6 reporting in."

~oOo~


End file.
